Platanal

Myrna Báez, Platanal, 1974, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jaime Fonalledas, 2013.21
Myrna Báez, Platanal, 1974, acrylic on canvas, 4535 in. (114.388.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jaime Fonalledas, 2013.21

Artwork Details

Title
Platanal
Artist
Date
1974
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4535 in. (114.388.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Jaime Fonalledas
Mediums Description
acrylic on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Object Number
2013.21

Artwork Description

Báez focused her gaze on a lush field of plantain trees, a crop long wedded to concepts of Puerto Rican identity and sovereignty. She depicted the crop’s large leaves as they reflect the tropical sun and delighted in her manipulation of paint on unprimed canvas. Báez’s belief in Puerto Rican independence manifests in her impulse to look, depict, and therefore possess the island’s landscape on her own terms.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013

Description in Spanish

Báez enfocó su mirada hacia un exuberante platanal, un cultivo largamente vinculado a los conceptos de identidad y soberanía de Puerto Rico. Representó las grandes hojas del plátano reflejando el sol del trópico y se deleitó manipulando la pintura sobre el lienzo crudo. La fe de Báez en la independencia de Puerto Rico, se manifiesta en su impulso para observar, describir y, a su manera, tomar posesión del paisaje de la isla.

Nuestra América: la presencia latina en el arte estadounidense, 2013

Works by this artist (20 items)

Carlos A. Cortéz, The Gilded Age, 1992, linocut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1993.13.5, artist claims work to be in public domain
The Gilded Age
Date1992
linocut on paper
Not on view
Carlos A. Cortéz, Ben Fletcher, 1987, linocut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1993.13.2, artist claims work to be in public domain
Ben Fletcher
Date1987
linocut on paper
Not on view
Carlos A. Cortéz, De la Tierra Somos (!No Somos Illegales!), 1984, woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1993.13.3, artist claims work to be in public domain
De la Tierra Somos (!No Somos Illegales!)
Date1984
woodcut on paper
Not on view

Related Books

OurAmerica_500.jpg
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture. This beautifully illustrated volume presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. Our America includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual, and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture, and scenes of everyday life. 

Exhibitions

Media - 2011.12 - SAAM-2011.12_1 - 77591
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
October 25, 2013March 2, 2014
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.

More Artworks from the Collection

Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
City is Man
Date1941-1952
linocut
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Nathan Oliveira, Site with Blue and White, 1978, monotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.14
Site with Blue and White
Date1978
monotype
Not on view